Paterson schools will reopen on Monday

All but three of Paterson's public schools will reopen Monday, state and local officials said tonight, following the system-wide shutdown of New Jersey's third largest district today because of fire code violations in more than 20 schools.

State Education Commissioner Lucille Davy, who personally intervened to help resolve the crisis, said the "imminent hazards" cited in closing the district had been resolved or would be this weekend.

There are 52 schools in the 25,000-student state-run district.

The only uncertainty was over the three specialized academies located together on a Main Street mall, where a contractor would be working through the weekend to repair faulty sprinklers, she said. Families in those academies would be updated this weekend, but Davy said she said they could be resolved as well by Monday.

"All students will report to schools on Monday, and in all but those three schools to their assigned locations," Davy said.